Why international Women’s and girls’ day should be every day.

The HIV virus has negatively affected our communities for decades now. The once unknown virus has now touched every corner of our world and still leaves a lasting impact on the socioeconomic injustices that so many experience daily. For many, HIV has been primarily associated with Gay and same gender loving men and majority of punitive efforts to have been focused on improving the health disparities against that community. However, what about Women and girls? Ignoring the implications of the HIV virus in Women is the very thing that will further delay us in the ending the epidemic. In 2019, an estimated 19.2 million women were living with HIV, constituting more than half of all adults aged 15 and over living with HIV. About 48% of the estimated 1.7 million new HIV infections in adults globally were among women in 2019. So, what can we do to change the trajectory of women and girls living with and affected by HIV? It is time to elevate the voices of women and girls and the diversity that this sisterhood holds. It is time for medical providers, political leaders, and community stakeholders to acknowledge and fill in the gaps that have been neglected in current service delivery models. And specifically, for women, it’s time to fight even harder to take back ownership of your own bodies and aggressively begin to hold these health institutions accountable for the lack of prioritization of the individual health needs of women. On this day of National Women and Girls HIV awareness day, All women around the World should know that you are not alone in this fight to end HIV. There is power in your stories, experiences, and existence that can never be erased, diminished, or debated by those who are not you. You are powerful, resilient, and the backbone of your communities, families, and life as we know it. Your life matters!

 

Justine Ingram

Board of Directors, Equality Foundation of Georgia

Capacity Building Specialist, Southern AIDS Coalition